Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

229 questions · 612 findings · 24 reviews

No studies found 6 · 1%GRADE not reported 568 · 92.8%Very low 24 · 3.9%Low 10 · 1.6%Moderate 4 · 0.7%High 0 · 0%

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Salivary pH · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Anorexia nervosa is associated with significantly lower salivary pH than healthy controls (MD -0.39, 95% CI -0.54 to -0.24; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Dental caries vs Caries-free status

Oral microbial community composition and diversity (other caries-associated taxa; alpha- and beta-diversity) · Systemically healthy individuals (children and adults, aged 40 months to 50 years) assessed for dental caries

No oral microbial taxon other than S. mutans was consistently associated with caries; alpha-diversity mostly did not differ between caries-active and caries-free groups and beta-diversity findings were mixed (ungraded, narrative).

1 finding from 1 review
  • Streptococcus mutans and Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2025 All outcomes
    Cross-sectional · Clinical oral-microbiome studies; saliva and/or supragingival plaque samples; 7 countries; DNA/RNA-based sequencing or microarray
    Narrative synthesis (no pooled estimate): no bacterial genus or species other than S. mutans was consistently (reported in more than 2 studies) associated with caries-active status (Table 3; 15 of 19 studies for…
    Studies not reported
    GRADE not reported

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Bleeding Index (BI) · Individuals assessed for periodontal health (mainly children and adolescents, age >2 years)

Bleeding index is significantly higher in persons with orofacial cleft than in healthy controls (p<0.0001), but no pooled effect size was reported (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Oral microbiota composition · Individuals assessed for oral microbiota (mainly children and adolescents)

Oral microbiota composition differs between persons with orofacial cleft and healthy controls, synthesized qualitatively across 8 studies but not meta-analyzed (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Dental caries vs Caries-free status

Prevalence (detection frequency) of S. mutans in plaque · Systemically healthy individuals (children and adults, aged 40 months to 50 years) assessed for dental caries

S. mutans prevalence in plaque is significantly higher in caries-active than caries-free individuals (pooled OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.65 to 4.02; I2=16%); ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Probing pocket depth · Individuals assessed for periodontal health (mainly children and adolescents, age >2 years)

Persons with orofacial cleft have a greater probing pocket depth than healthy controls (MD 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.95; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Dental caries (ECC/severe ECC) as exposure/grouping vs Caries-free controls

Relative abundance of Veillonella spp. · Individuals assessed for dental caries, predominantly children with early childhood caries (ECC) or severe ECC (age about 1 to 4 years)

Evidence on whether Veillonella spp. relative abundance is higher or lower in children with dental caries than caries-free controls is inconsistent across 7 small observational studies; no pooled estimate was produced and the evidence is ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs Healthy controls without cleft

Plaque · Individuals assessed for periodontal health (mainly children and adolescents, age >2 years)

Persons with orofacial cleft have a higher plaque index than healthy controls (MD 0.29, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.34; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Salivary alpha-amylase · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

There is no significant difference in salivary alpha-amylase between anorexia nervosa patients and healthy controls (MD 6.32 U/l, 95% CI -6.14 to 18.79; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Anorexia nervosa probably reduces unstimulated salivary flow rate versus healthy controls (MD -0.27 ml/min, 95% CI -0.31 to -0.24; moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Co-presence of Veillonella spp. with Streptococcus mutans vs Streptococcus mutans acidogenesis without Veillonella spp. modulation (conceptual)

Streptococcus mutans acid (lactic acid) production and cariogenic potential · Oral biofilm of children/individuals at risk of dental caries

The review concludes that Veillonella spp. may modulate (often inhibit) S. mutans acid production and compete for lactate substrate, potentially reducing cariogenesis, but the evidence is narrative and ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Gingival (marginal) recession · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Gingival (marginal) recession was significantly higher in anorexia nervosa patients than controls in both reporting studies, but was not pooled or graded (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals

Dental caries (by severity) · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

In cross-sectional studies, HIV+ children on ART had a significantly higher DMFS index than HIV-negative peers (MD 2.00, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.46; not separately GRADE-rated).

2 findings from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Dental erosion · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Dental erosion was more prevalent in anorexia nervosa patients than controls (low erosive-wear severity), but was not pooled or graded (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Plaque · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Anorexia nervosa patients tended to have higher plaque accumulation than healthy controls (significant in 2 of 3 studies), but results were not pooled or graded (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Caries experience · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Anorexia nervosa is associated with significantly higher caries experience (DMFT) than healthy controls (MD 2.00 teeth, 95% CI 0.87 to 3.13; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

High-intensity sweeteners other than stevia (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin) in food products vs Any comparator (dietary sugar, no treatment, or other sweetener)

Effects of non-stevia high-intensity sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin) on cariogenic bacteria in dental plaque or saliva · healthy people

No eligible studies evaluated high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin for their effect on cariogenic bacteria.

1 finding from 1 review

Consumption of xylitol chewing gum by women (mothers) vs no intervention

Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in saliva · healthy people

Xylitol significantly reduced Mutans streptococci in saliva compared with no intervention (SMD -1.47, 95% CI -1.94 to -0.99; 3 trials), though heterogeneity was very high (I2=98%); not GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review

Xylitol (low-intensity sweetener/sugar alcohol) in food products (chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets) vs Sorbitol (low-intensity sweetener)

Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in saliva · healthy people

Xylitol and sorbitol did not differ significantly for Mutans streptococci in saliva (SMD -0.16, 95% CI -0.44 to 0.12; 2 trials, P=.25); not GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review